Attendance at Khan's funeral being decided

Franklin Khan -
Franklin Khan -

THE Prime Minister was one of three people who were due to pay tribute to late energy minister Franklin Khan at his funeral service on Saturday.

Khan's widow, Laura Sewlal-Khan, said this was part of the initial arrangement for the service, which takes place from 10 am at the Aramalaya Presbyterian Church in Tunapuna.

After the service, Khan will be buried in a private ceremony at the Radix Cemetery in Mayaro.

Khan, 63, died at his Maraval home of a heart attack on April 17.

Sewlal-Khan said on Tuesday that because of the current covid19 restrictions, which only allow ten people to be present at the church and at the cemetery later, the details of who will be able to physically attend the funeral are still being worked out.

She said her daughter Khara, who returned from the United Kingdom two weeks ago, is close to completing her 14-day quarantine and will be at the funeral. Sewlal-Khan said, "She will be out of quarantine on Thursday morning." Khara's husband Adrian Glackin will also be at the funeral.

Sewlal-Khan said her son Kheron, his wife Shantelle Ramkhelawansingh and two of Khan's relatives will also be at the funeral. On whether their grandchildren Amelia, Braeden and Liam would attend, she said that is still to be decided.

Given the existing covid19 protocols, Sewlal-Khan said, "We're very limited. We have to give two to the church which is the reverends."

The Rev Joy Abdul-Mohan and Rev Antony Rampersad will be the officiating ministers for the service.

Sewlal-Khan continued, "So two (people) are already at the pulpit. So we have only eight people we could deal with." Asked who could be the Government's representative, given the limited number of people allowed, Sewlal-Khan said, "The initial one (arrangement) was three tributes.One was going to be Minister of Finance Colm Imbert. Then we were going to have (Planning and Development Minister) Camille Robinson-Regis, and the Prime Minister himself was coming to the funeral."

Dr Rowley was diagnosed covid19-positive on April 6, and was in quarantine at the Prime Minister's official residence in Blenheim, Tobago when Khan died. The PM tested negative on April 26. .

Sewlal-Khan does not now know who will represent the Government at the funeral.

"Because of the covid, we don't know if they'll send a representative to read out the tributes or whether it will be done via Skype or whatever it is, or video technology.We don't know how it;s going to be done."

She confirmed the funeral is an official one.

"Yes, it is. The Defence Force is in charge."

An official funeral is given to people such as government ministers or former government ministers.

On Tuesday, government officials could not say who will represent the Government at Khan's funeral. But they said arrangements are being made either to livestream the funeral over the Internet or broadcast it live on television.

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"Attendance at Khan’s funeral being decided"

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